Laser engraving and coating process for forming indicia on articles
AssigneeLisco, Inc.
InventorsThomas J. Kennedy, Mark L. Binette, Michael Konieczny
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A process for providing indicia to the surface of an article. The process comprising the steps of: providing an article having material initially forming at least a portion of its exterior surface; coating at least part of the material whereat indicia is to be provided to thereby form a film; contacting, with radiation from a radiation beam, indicia areas of the film intended to be provided with indicia, the radiation thereby removing the film and modifying the surface of the material of the indicia areas and also forming a mask in the non-indicia areas of the film; applying an ink to the indicia areas thereby forming the indicia on the surface; drying the ink; and removing the film.
Claims11
A process for providing indicia to the surface of a game ball, the process comprising the steps of:
- providing a game ball having a synthetic material initially forming at least a portion of its exterior surface;
- coating, with a solution of polyvinyl alcohol and a plasticizer and water, at least part of the synthetic material whereat indicia is to be provided, to thereby form a hardened film;
- contacting, with a laser beam, indicia areas of the hardened film and synthetic material intended to be provided with indicia, the laser beam thereby ablatively removing the film and modifying the synthetic material in the entire indicia areas and also forming a mask in the non-indicia areas of the film;
- applying an indelible ink to the indicia areas for constituting the indicia on the surface of the game ball;
- drying the ink;
- removing the film by peeling;
- and
- washing with warm water any unpeeled portions of the film.
A process for providing indicia to the surface of a game ball, the process comprising the steps of:
- providing a game ball having a leather material initially forming at least a portion of its exterior surface;
- coating, with a solution of polyvinyl alcohol and a plasticizer and water, at least part of the leather material whereat indicia is to be provided, to thereby form a hardened film;
- contacting, with a laser beam, indicia areas of the hardened film and leather material intended to be provided with indicia, the laser beam thereby ablatively removing the film and modifying the leather material in the entire indicia areas and also forming a mask in the non-indicia areas of the film;
- applying an indelible ink to the indicia areas for constituting the indicia on the surface of the game ball;
- drying the ink;
- removing the film by peeling;
- and
- washing with warm water any unpeeled portions of the film.
A process for providing indicia to the surface of an article, the process comprising the steps of:
- providing an article having material initially forming at least a portion of its exterior surface;
- coating at least part of the material whereat indicia is to be provided to thereby form a film;
- contacting, with radiation from a radiation beam, indicia areas of the film intended to be provided with indicia, the radiation thereby removing the film and modifying the surface of the material of the indicia areas and also forming a mask in the non-indicia areas of the film;
- applying an ink to the indicia areas thereby forming the indicia on the surface;
- drying the ink;
- and removing the film.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.